Method and apparatus for pickling metal coils



Oct. 1, 1940. s. NYBERG Er A1. 2,216,211

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL COILS Filed out. sa, 1939 4 sheets-#sheet 1 @www fla/M Ctl, 1940- s. NYBERG r- T AL A 2,216,211

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLING METAL COILS "Filed oct. 9, 1939 4 sneetssheet 2 gwuzwbom A Oct. l, 1940. s. NYBERG E1- A1. 2,216,211 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IICKLNG METAL COILS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Qrwe/rvtow Sime/Vye/y Oct. l, 940. 5, NYBERG ET AL 2,216,211

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR- PICKLING METAL COILS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 56' iff g 1 vu cwi/ow /f n.7' 7 fia/ze /Vye/y Her/mam i Kala/wi Patented Oct. 1, 1940 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PICKLIN G METAL COILS A Stone Nyberg, Dover, and Herman C. Cappel, New Philadelphia, Ohio, assignors to Agnes J. Reeves Greer, Morgantown, W. Va.

Application Dotober 9, 1939, Serial No... 398,519 7 claims. ici. iis-8) The invention relates to method and apparatus for pickling coils of metal, and more particularly to certain improvements upon the general type of pickling machines disclosed in Greer Patent No. 2,091,921, issued August 31, 1937; Shoemaker Patent No. 2,120,843, issued June 14, 1938; and application of Agnes J'. Reeves Greer for method and apparatus for pickling metal coils, Serial No. 249,484, led January 5, 1939 and allowed July m 21, 1939.

Machines of the general character referred to.

provide for the pickling, Washing and treating of coils of metal supported upon mandrels which are rotated as they are progressed through the w pickling and washing tanks, `whereby the coils are in turn rotated bythemandrels.

As disclosed f inl the,Greer application above referred to, it has been found desirable to rotate the coils Vin alternate directions, as they pass 20 through thepickling andLwashing baths, in order that the multiplicity of convolutions of the coils be opened up, or separated,` so as to permit free access `of the solutions to all portions of the coils, whereby `the pickling `and washing of the metal 2g are greatly facilitated. v

In machines such as above referred to, although` the mandrels, vand the coils supported thereon, were positively rotated While they were passing through the solutions in the tanks, there 3@ was nomeans for positively rotating the coils duringthe timethey Were being transferred from onetank to the next, and except for a slight rotation as the transfer arms pass over center the coils merely hang ,suspended` upon the mandrels 35 throughout the transfer period.

It'vhas been discovered Ythat the pickllng acid may bemore readily removed from the surface of thel metal` `by positively rotating the coils around theiraxes throughout the entire transfer period,and in some cases it may be desirable to alternately `rotate thecoil in opposite 'directions as it is being transferredfro'm one tank to anothergf. u

`It is therefore an `object ofl the present invention to -providemeans for positively rotating the coils around their axesaslthey are carried in the transfer arms from oneltank to the next.

Another 'Objectis t0 providezmeans for alternately rotating the Coi1sin"o'p posite directions during tn'transferperiodLj A further object is to providemmeans for, rotating lthe coils in the transfer arms in `dir,action so therme top of the 'oilmoves in4 a direction opposite to the movem` tofthe,transferarms,

a, sul,fregarean;perde mande having a gear thereon, and an arcuate rack located in the path of the gear for positively rotating the mandrel as it is carried in the transfer arms.

Still another' object is to provide sections of 5 arcuate racks arranged to alternately engage opposite sides of the gear upon the mandrel so as to alternately rotate the mandrel in opposite directions as it is carried from one tank to the next in the transfer arms.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and the following description, or which may be later re. ferred to, may be attained4 by constructing and operating the improved pickling machine and method in' the manner illustrated iny the accompanying drawings, in which Figure` l is a sectional elevation showing `the adjacent end portions of two tanks of a pickling machine, with the interposed transfer arms and means associated therewith for positively rotating the mandrels, and the coils supported thereon, throughout the time that they are bein transferred from one tank to the other;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a transverse sectional View of the machine, taken as on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a fragmentary, detached elevation of a portion of one transfer arm, showing the gear on the mandrel sleeve engaging the arcuate rack;

Fig. 5, a similar view showing the gear on the mandrel shaftengaging the rack on the transfer arm;

Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modi- V viication of the invention; andl transfer mechanism is used between the first and 5g)` second washing tanks. v u

A portion of the pickling tank is indicated at l0 andthe adjacent portion of the first washing tanks indicated at I I. Each of these'4 tanks may"V be of any suitable length depending upon they lns speed at which the coils are advanced therethrough to obtain a proper pickling of each coil in its passage through the pickling tank and a proper washing and neutralizing of the coils as they pass through the first washing tank.

l Rails I2 may be mounted at or adjacentto tlie top of the pickling tank at points adjacent to the side walls thereof, forming a track upon which the mandrels may be rotated throughout the length of the tank.

Each mandrel may comprise a shaft I3 having a roller I4 fixed near each end thereof and adapted to travel upon the rails I2; and a sleeve I5 rotatably mounted upon the mandrel shaft between the rollers I4.

This mandrel may be of the same construction as illustrated and described in detail in said Greer application, and may be provided with the enlarged middle portion I6 having the spaced annular grooves I'I therein for adjustably mounting the ange plates I8 upon the sleeve in order to accommodate c oils of different widths.

If desired, a section of tube, as shown at I9, of considerably larger diameter than the mandrel sleeve, may be located around the enlarged central portion I6 of the mandrel sleeve between the flange plates and within the open center of the coil 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

A sprocket wheel or gear 2l is xed upon each end portion of the mandrel shaft I3, preferably beyond the rollers I4 and is adapted to travel upon a toothed track 22 associated with the side walls of the pickling tank-in the manner illustrated and described in detail in said Shoemaker patent and said Greer application above referred to.

As disclosed in the above cases these toothed tracks may be fixed to any stationary portion of the machine adjacent to the pickling tanks, such as the rails I3.

The upper side of each of the sprocket wheels 2I is adapted to be engaged by an endless drive chain 23 located around sprockets 24 near each end of the tank and preferably running beneath the longitudinal chain guides 25, as disclosed in detail in said Shoemaker patent, which insure engagement of the drive chains with the sprocket wheels 2|.

The drive chains 23 may be continuously driven in unison by means of the gearing indicated at 26 and the drive shaft 21, which drives the chains in the direction of the arrows shown in the drawings, the mandrel shaft I3 being thus positively driven in a forward direction by the cooperation of the chains 23, sprocket wheels 2I and toothed tracks 22.

- A sprocket wheel or gear 28 is fixed upon the mandrel sleeve I5 near one end thereof and adapted to ride upon a toothed track 29 located adjacent to one of the side walls of the pickling tank for the purpose of causing the mandrel sleeve to be positively rotated as the mandrel is moved forwardly over the tank.

As described in detail in said Greer application this toothed track 29 may be operated at one or more points between the ends of the tank for the purpose of back spinning the mandrel sleeve and coil, but this construction forms no part of the present invention and is not illustrated herein.

Thus, with the coil supported upon the mandrel sleeve, it will be seen that as the mandrel is driven forwardly upon the rails I2, by means of the drive chains 23, the sprockets 2I engaging the toothed tracks 22 will cause the mandrel shaft to be positively rotated forwardly, and Aduring the timethat the sprocket 28 upon the mandrel sleeve is in contact with the toothed track 29 the mandrel sleeve I6, and with it the coil 20, will be positively rotated in the same direction and at the same speed as the mandrel shaft I3.

Between the discharge end of the pickling tank I and the entrance end of the first washing tank II is located the transfer mechanism which includes a shaft 30 journaled in bearings 3| and provided with a spaced pair of coil transfer arms 32 each having a coil engaging hook 33 at its free end.

A m'otor or other driving means arranged to be automatically operated as described in the above mentioned patents, as eachmandrel is received inI the hooks 33 may be operatively connected to the shaft 3I through suitable gearing indicated generally at 34.

'I'he hooks 33 of the transfer arms may be substantially the same as described in the Shoemaker patent except that vthe track portion of each hook including the toothed track 35 which engages the sprockets 2| of the mandrel shaft is preferably convex forming an arc of a circle drawn from the center of the shaft 30.

In the patents and application above referred to the mandrel and the coil supported thereby hang ina substantially stationary manner in the hooks of the transfer arms throughout the entire transfer operation, the only movement of the same being a rolling movement of the mandrel between the ends of theV hooks as the transfer arms pass over center.

It has been been found however, that the efficiency of the machine may be increased by continuing the rotation of the mandrel and coil supported thereon throughout the entire transfer period andthis rotation may be either backward l or forward or alternately backward and forward as the transfer arms move the coil from one tank to the next.

This rotation of the coil as it is removed from the bath and carried through the air between the tanks greatly assists in removing the liquid from the coil, when used between the pickling tank and first washing tank expedites the washing of the pickling acid from the coil and prevents carrying of an excess of acid into the washing tank.

As shown in Figs. l to 3, inclusive, continuous backward rotation of the mandrel and coil supported thereon may be attained by means of an arcuate frame 36 located in the adjoining ends of the two tanks and provided with the substantially the transfer arms 32 are swung through the path of their movement.

With this construction as the transfer arms are swung from the full line position to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, the sprocket or gear' 28 will engage the toothed track 31 rotating the mandrel sleeve backward so that the top of the coil will be 'moving toward the left while the coil moves bodily to the right, as viewed in Fig. 7. This rotation of the coil as it hangs suspended upon the transfer arms causes substantially all of the pickling fluid to be drained therefrom.

The rst washing tank II ris preferably of greater depth than the acidl or pickling tank as best shown in Fig. Iso that the entire coil may be submerged in the water as it is passed through the tank. For this reason the vfirst washing tank il may also be of greater width than the pickling tank so as to receive the entire length of each mandrel therein as shown in Fig. 2.

Rails 38 may be supported insdeof the tank Il, extending along the side walls thereof and preferably at a point considerably below the top of the tank as shown in Fig. 1 to receive theV the sprockets 2l upon the mandrel shaft for moving the mandrel with the coils supported thereon forwardly through the tank Il, the sprockets 2| upon the mandrel shaft are adapted to ride upon the toothed tracks 40 associated with the rails 38 in the first washing tank, and a toothed track 4I similar to the track 29 islocated in the washing tank, for engagement with the sprocket Wheel or gear 28 upon the mandrel sleeve.

Curved guides 42 may be provided at the charging end of the tank `Il for receiving the ends of each mandrel to guide the mandrel into position upon the rails 38 and beneath the drive chains 39.

Although the improved transfer mechanism for rotating the coils during the transfer period is illustrated only as located between the pickling tank and the first washing tank it is to be understood that similar transfer mechanism may be mounted between the rst and second washing tanks also, the construction and operation of su-chtransfer mechanism being the same as i1- lustrated in` the accompanying drawings and above described.

The transfermechanism may be modified as shown in Fig. 6, so that the coil may be alter- Vgear 28.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and described further' embodiments thereof, but we desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as speciiically illustrated and described, the invention residing in the positive rotation of the coils upon the mandrels as they are being transferred from one tank to another lregardless ofthe mechanism by which this rotation may be accomplished.

We claim: 1. The method of pickling, washing or treating a coil of metal supported upon a mandrel which includes transferring the coil from one bath to another bath and rotating the coil around its axis throughout the entire time it is being transferred from one bath to the other.

2. The method of pickling, washing or treating a coil of metal supported upon al mandrel 5 which includes transferring the coil from one bath to another bath and rotating the coil around its axis so that the direction of rotation at the top of the coil is in a direction opposite to the direction in which the coil is moving, throughout the entire time it is being transferred from one bath to the other.

3. The method of pickling, washing or treating a coil of metal supported upon a mandrel which includes transferring the coil from one bath to another bath and rotating the coil around its axis alternately in opposite directions throughout the entire time it is being transferred from one bath to the other.

4. Apparatus for pickling, washing or treating a coil of metal, including two adjacent tanks containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is supported, transfer arms between the tanks, each arm having a hook at its ends for' receiving themandrel, means for moving the transfer arms between thev tanks for transferring the coil 'from one tank to the other, and means in the path of the mandrel for rotating the mandrel and the coil supported thereon throughout the entire time of said transfer. 3

5. Apparatus for pickling. washing or treating coil of metal, including two adjacent tanks containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is supported, said mandrel comprising a shaft and a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft, a gear on the sleeve, means for transferring theA mandrel with the coil thereon from one tank to the other, and a rack in the path of the gear for rotating the sleeve so that the direction of rotationat the top of the coil is in a direction opposite to the direction in which the coil is moving throughout the entire time of said transfer. 6. Apparatus for pickling, washing or treating a coil of metal, including two adjacenttanks containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is supported, transferarms between the tanks, each arm having a hook at its ends for receiving the mandrel, means for moving the transfer arms between the tanks for transferring the coil from one tank to the other, and means inthe path of the mandrel for rotating the mandrel and the coil supported thereon alternately in opposite directions throughout the entire time of said transfer.

'7. Apparatus for pickling, washing or treating 55 a coil of metal, including two adjacent tanks containing liquid, a mandrel upon which the coil is supported, 'said mandrel comprising a shaft and a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the shaft,

va gear on the sleeve, means for transferring the mandrel with the coil thereon from one tank to theother, and racks in the path of the gear for successively engaging the top and bottom of the gear for rotating the sleeve alternately in opposite directions throughout the entire time of said transfer.

HERMAN C. CAPPEL.

STONE NYBERG. 

